Over 60,000 kids around the country are part of the futureFERNS programme. We spend the day with them in this episode of A little better every day.

It’s a misty, late spring morning on Te Atatū peninsula. The first pōhutukawa are emerging, pops of pinky red against the grey sky. Inside Shamila Ward’s house, it’s cosy. Cups of tea are being passed around. People are perched on the couch, around the kitchen table and on the floor. This is an official Te Atatū Netball Club meeting. Minutes are being taken.

Shamila has been part of this club since she was a kid. “Netball’s always been a passion of mine, my first Te Atatū netball skirt was blue and white tartan, it had velcro and a slidey zip, I loved it, I thought it was so cool,” she laughs.

These days, Shamila coaches, plays socially and is also president of Te Atatū Netball Club. “This was my pocket that I found where I feel like I belong,” she says. “I feel that netball is really important for young kids because it’s building communication, it’s building teamwork.”

Shamila is also a mum to three boys under 10. Her sons are part of the club too, and they all started out playing in the futureFERNS programme. “FutureFERNS is a simplified version of netball,” Shamila says. “For the year ones and twos it’s really about passing and catching, then when we get to year three and four, we add a little bit more on, and then we’ve got our year fives and sixes who play six-a-side.”

FutureFERNS is one of the community partners that Woolworths supports. It’s a huge programme with over 60,000 kids involved. In this episode of A little better every day’ we spend the day with Shamila and her futureFERNS to find out what it’s all about.